Maslenitsa, syncretism between orthodoxy and paganism
Between Staryi Novyi God ("Old New Year" in the Julian calendar) on January 14 and the Orthodox Easter which usually falls at the end of April, Maslenitsa is celebrated around the last days of February. It is probably the element of Slavic folklore that has most survived the various breaks in Russian history. Originally, Maslenitsa is a festival of the sun, celebrating the near end of winter (think of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring!) Like many other seasonal celebrations, Maslenitsa has been assimilated into the Orthodox Christian rite. Now celebrated precisely the week before Lent, it is the Orthodox equivalent of Carnival and Shrove Tuesday. The name Maslenitsa comes from maslo, which means butter or oil. Indeed, Maslenitsa, which traditionally takes place during a week in which meat consumption is already banned, is the last chance for practitioners to eat fats and animal products before the beginning of Lent, when a strict frugal and vegan diet must be observed. While Maslenitsa was banned in the days of the Soviet Union, it is now widely celebrated throughout Russia, with varying degrees of intensity and different uses depending on whether it is a religious festival, a cultural event or a commercial one. As with Candlemas in France, Maslenitsa has gone down in popular culture as a "pancake festival", or in Russia, blinis. These small round, thick, yellow pancakes symbolize the sun disk, and it is also the occasion to consume milk, butter and eggs for the last time. Finally, Maslenitsa also serves to enhance the aesthetics of Russian folklore: throughout the week, the public space is covered with a white coat embroidered with red, using traditional textile motifs. Advertising and trade are set in Slavic time: in tourist places, restaurants and during gatherings, traditional costume is worn. For men it is the kosovorodka, a plain cloth tunic with a richly embroidered breastplate. For women it is the sarafan, a long embroidered dress under which a shirt is worn. But the most recognizable element that you will see everywhere in the street during Maslenitsa is the kokochnik, the small traditional headdress with delicate and rich details, whose shapes change according to the region.
The legacy of Soviet holidays
Professional parties. The Soviet system had placed work as a central value around which society and social life was organised. Thus, the figure of the worker who participates tirelessly in the building of the country was particularly revered in internal political discourse. May1, International Workers' (not Labour) Day, was probably the most important and symbolic holiday in the Soviet Union. It is still widely celebrated with great pomp and circumstance in today's Russia, but is far from being the most curious manifestation of the Soviet desire to honour its working class. For in addition to Workers' Day, the USSR used to honour each profession individually: there is Geologists' Day (April 3), Cosmonauts' Day (April 12), Pioneers' Day (May 19), and many others. This practice has by no means disappeared, quite the contrary, and each profession duly celebrates its professional holiday in today's Russia
Women's Day and Men's Day. What surprises foreigners the most in the Russian social calendar is surely the existence of a "men's day". Celebrated on February 23rd, it corresponds to what was originally the "Day of the Defenders of the Fatherland". By an analogy that some would certainly describe as dubious, the celebration has gradually spread to all men. In a Russian society that remains relatively sexist, it is an opportunity to congratulate the men around him for their "virile" qualities. Women are not to be outdone, however. 8 March, originally launched as "Workers' Women's Day" by the German communists at the beginning of the 20th century, has become "International Women's Rights Day", but is celebrated in Russia as "Women's Day", and is a public holiday. Far from being symbolic of feminist struggles, there is rather a tendency to honour a very traditional femininity: gentleness, motherhood, self-sacrifice. But this is taken very seriously by the Russians, so don't be surprised if strangers offer you flowers in the street on that day, it's quite normal
A flourishing business. Beyond the political and social considerations, February 23 and March 8 are above all for Russians the occasion to indulge in one of their favourite activities: offering each other flowers! In Russia, florists are the little hands that allow family, friends and love relationships to blossom to the fullest: every occasion is a good opportunity to offer a pretty bouquet to a loved one. Thus, there are small shops selling flowers on every street corner and, surprisingly, even in the smallest cities of the country, there is always a flower shop open 24 hours a day. In a Russia where gender roles are still firmly entrenched in people's minds, it is not uncommon to come across a man late at night on his way back from an alcoholic party who rushes to the florist's so as not to go home empty-handed to his girlfriend
Victory Day. In Russia, because of the time difference, the victory of the Allies is not celebrated on the 8th, but on the 9th of May. In fact, there is no "Second World War" in Russia, but the "Great Patriotic War", and Dien Pobiedy ("Victory Day") is undoubtedly the most important celebration of the political year. Setting aside the early years of the conflict and the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Soviet and then Russian authorities have, for nation-building purposes, constantly exalted the victory of the Red Army and the dedication of its soldiers. It was in fact the USSR which made by far the greatest civil and military sacrifice during the conflict, even if on their return a large part of the surviving soldiers were deported to Siberia by Stalin. Whether at the front, during the siege of Leningrad or among the partisans, the heroic behaviour of the Soviets during the war is naturally the pride of today's Russians, their descendants. It is also widely instrumentalized by the ruling power, which has made ample use of the memory of the Great Patriotic War to galvanize patriotism in Russian society at all levels. Today, the most significant moment of the 9 May celebrations is no longer the huge military parade, but the Immortal Regiment. At the base, there is a civil initiative: brandishing during the parades the portrait of his ancestors who valiantly fought at the front. Then the state took over and since 2015, the Immortal Regiment is a procession framed and sponsored by the Kremlin, which has made it a large-scale patriotic and political demonstration. In 2019, several hundred thousand people, including President Putin, marched through the streets of Moscow, carrying pictures of their forefathers with a St. George ribbon pinned to their chests. Naturally, the practice is exported and today we find immortal regiments in all cities, including European and American cities where these "compatriots abroad" forming the Russian diaspora are established.
Ceremonies of daily life
For a long time, the life of the Soviets was punctuated by effort and rationing: ostentation was not allowed, both on special occasions and, of course, in everyday life. Thus, many customs and habits that were strictly Soviet developed, based on sharing and a sense of community. Gathering around a tea samovar, or over a small glass of vodka (see our special report) or better, sovietskoye champanskoye (the name is transparent) are among the most symbolic codified appointments inherited from Soviet frugality. But there is one practice which, due to the geographical constraints of the country, has truly been elevated to the rank of an art of living by the Soviets, and that is that of taking the train
The Russian-style train. There is certainly the Trans-Siberian Railway, which has fascinated Westerners since its creation, but the train in Russia covers a much wider reality. Whether you take it to visit your family, look for a seasonal job or go on holiday on the Black Sea in the summer, it is rare to make journeys that last less than a day. However, the train remains far more popular than the plane in Russia. It is of course a question of price and safety, but not only that. Taking the train is a social experience not to be missed in Russia, especially if you choose to travel in 3rd class, the famous platzkart. Platzkart carriages are not compartmentalized: on one side the open boxes offer two beds at the bottom and two at the top, around a table. On the other side of the corridor, opposite the stall, there are two bunk beds arranged along the windows, and the lower one turns into a small table with two seats. Everything is made to meet the neighbours: during the day, everyone sits side by side on the lower bunks to have a bite to eat, drink tea and get to know each other. The provodnik or the provodnitsa (wagon manager) passes regularly through the ranks to check that everything is going well and to lend the traveller cups that they will fill with hot water at the communal samovar to make tea. They usually bring back cold chicken, hard-boiled eggs, pickled pickles and tomatoes, biscuits and why not a small bottle of vodka (to be hidden under the pillow) that they will have to share with their fellow passengers. If the club car is the den for the more affluent passengers travelling in 2nd or 1st class, the platzkart is the place where, to the rhythm of naps, cups of tea and the passing scenery, relationships are forged.
In the digital age
As everywhere else in the world, social networks have rapidly become in Russia this strategic field where young and old alike stage their social life. Exit the Komsomol and the Pioneers, hello Vkontakte, Odnoklassniki and Telegram. Because, with a few exceptions, the social networks that are used most in Russia are not the same as in the West: as in China, there is a Russian will to put in place tools to resist the neo-imperialism of the American GAFA. But beyond that, practices are not necessarily the same: on Vkontakte (the Russian equivalent of Facebook) for example, you can listen to and download music and films, because Russian intellectual property law is much more liberal than elsewhere. It was the site's founder, Pavel Dourov, who also developed the encrypted messaging service Telegram, which is now widely popular around the world. Starting out as just a messaging application, Telegram quickly became an alternative source of information through channels fed by journalists, bloggers, activists to which users can subscribe. Today, Pavel Dourov has left Russia and Telegram has become a highly political platform. In 2019, the extremely popular anonymous blogger with the unambiguous pseudonym Stalingulag was forced to reveal his identity after his parents were threatened by the authorities. For some researchers, Telegram is said to have become the modern equivalent of samizdat, the Soviet system of clandestine circulation of dissident manuscripts.
Instagram passion. But one cannot remain forever impervious to globalization: today the most popular social network in Russia is the American Instagram. Far from its initial function of sharing retouched photos, Instagram is in Russia a complete communication tool, mainly used for commercial and advertising purposes. In addition to young Russians, all political figures, media houses, and even the smallest shop have an account on it. Instagram is the place to set up an online business, advertise, advertise sales, display schedules, etc. In short, for many companies, Instagram has replaced the Internet site, so you'll have to go through it to navigate with peace of mind in the commercial hustle and bustle of Russian cities.
